


A Whisper of Humanity

by ericsonclan



Series: OG World [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Childhood Memories, M/M, Morality, Walkers (Walking Dead), Whisperers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25806892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: James prepares with the Whisperers for a large attack on a community when one decision changes the course of his life.
Relationships: Charlie (Walking Dead: Broken Toys)/James (Walking Dead: Suffer the Children)
Series: OG World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815361
Kudos: 6





	A Whisper of Humanity

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

James looked around at the stove in front of him. Orders upon orders of Korean fusion food were grilling away while to the right of it some rice and other accompaniments were placed to join the rest of the food when it was ready. The saltiness permeated the air around James; his nostrils flared slightly from the spiciness that joined it. He would never get tired of this smell, it was nostalgic being able to be thrown back into happier times.

“James,” He turned and saw his dad standing there with a warm smile while he poked his head out the food truck to talk to the next customers. “Could you get that order off the grill?” 

It took James a moment to register the request but when he did he got the order out quickly. His hands seemed to remember the motions of getting the different items on the menu put together. 

Almost like riding a bike to him. After a few minutes there was a lull in the customers and his dad turned to give him a smile. 

“Have I ever told you that I’m proud of you?” 

“Almost every day,” James froze when he heard his voice. It sounded younger and had more volume to it.

“Well I am, James,” His dad gave a light-hearted laugh before placing his arm on his son’s shoulder. “I really am.” 

James smiled up at his dad, wishing this moment could last longer, but wasn’t given that luxury. His body jolted up from the ground, forcing him to escape the happier memories of yesterday, of the old world. James lifted up his hand and brushed aside some of his hair. A faint smell of death tickled his nose, a smell he was used to but never fond of. He glanced down at his hands, covered in walker skin that reached barely beyond his knuckles. James glanced around his small tent, taking a moment to recenter himself back into reality. 

After he had found his center again he exited his tent, grabbing his mask and knives on the way out. He knew what needed to be done today as he began to put on his mask. The leathery texture of the skin slid across his face and fell in place. James let out a deep breath; something about the mask always felt comforting. The faint smell of death permeated his nostrils, flaring them up and overpowering them for a second before it settled down. Growing used to the smell once again. 

Once he’d secured the knives to his sides, he started his day’s work. Moving through the large encampment of the Whisperers, he made his way to the forest surrounding it, out past the old twisted tree that marked the end of their camp and further into the woods where various walkers were roaming the area. A small group of five seemed rather intrigued by a particular tree where a family of squirrels were circling around the top of its trunk, squeaking and biting in a show of strength. That only seemed to cause the walkers to be further drawn towards them. 

James started to move forward, his feet dragging in a slow, lame manner, his arms swaying back and forth, mimicking those of the living dead. When he had successfully moved towards a well-sized rock he grasped it and threw it away from the tree and towards the direction he intended the walkers to go. It seemed to do the trick. The loud thud of the rock hitting against another tree drew all five of the walkers’ attention away from the squirrels. They groaned in response, inching forward and moving the pack. 

_They really are husks._ James thought as he swayed over to them, working to herd them where his group wanted them to be kept. It wasn’t a hard job; walkers weren’t exactly that difficult to trick. They were simple-minded monsters that served no purpose other than to feed on humans and the limited supply of wildlife in the world or to be used by the Whisperers as tools, weapons. James was careful when he reentered the small group of walkers to wrangle them. His eyes searched around for another rock or stick to use to guide them. 

Then his eyes stumbled upon a fellow Whisperer filling their quota for the day. It took no time at all for James to figure out who it was. _Charlie._ A small smile appeared on James’ lips. No one ever quite moved like Charlie did when he herded walkers. It was almost as if he pulled himself into a trace, lost in the movement of the walkers so deeply that it was hard to tell whether it was him or not if you didn’t know him. But with his short bow and knife strapped to his side along with his unique movement made him always clear to James. James forced himself to focus back on the task at hand, throwing a stick to herd the five walkers to a makeshift pen that the Whisperers had set up. Walkers were rather dumb and docile when they were in a place they considered interesting or whenever they lost track of any sound around them, enjoying looking at the same view for however long until the Whisperers found a use for them. 

When James had successfully wrangled that group into the pen, he took a moment to look at the sheer number of walkers they had collected so far. It was clear that the Alpha was planning another big attack soon, talking in vague sentences to the group as they continued to make their way to the west. James couldn’t spend all of his time staring at the walkers though. There were still many out there and he needed to pay attention in case one of them found out he was a human. _Although,_ James looked down at his dual blades, _worst case I use these._ He looked at his weapons for a moment then continued on, working for a few more hours to gather as many as he could. 

It was only when the sky had turned a warm, comforting shade of orange that he headed back along with his fellow Whisperers. Food was rather scarce around these parts so they seemed lucky to have one sustainable meal a day. James wandered over to his tent, placing away his mask and knives before sitting in front of the small fire pit. His hand worked idly with the kindling, unsure what his plans would be for the evening. 

“James,” A deep, whispered voice appeared in front of him. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Whisperers never used names. Only in the evening when the work for the day had been completed would he ever hear his name. Regardless, James looked up to see his boyfriend Charlie who held their shares of the food for the day. Handing James his share, Charlie took a seat beside, him helping him out to make the fire. Soon flames appeared, licking at the plentiful amount of twigs and wood that the pair had placed in the pit. 

The fire crackled and grew as James and Charlie talked, both eating their food for the day before something out of the corner of James’ eyes caught his attention. There in a nearby tent sat one of the younger members around the age of fourteen. The group had picked him up during their journey through a particular gruesome fight which they had caused. He had ended up being the only survivor and was given a choice: live and become a Whisperer or die alongside the corpses that laid at his feet. He had taken the only real choice and been a part of the group for the last few months. 

Never really fitting in and always isolating himself, the redhead boy with large ears hid away in his tent. His head poked out from it and his hands were extended to get some heat from one of the nearby fires. They were trembling fiercely and his eyes darted from left and right. James considered asking him if he wanted to join him and Charlie. Even if he was nearly four years younger, it might help him face the facts and grow into a survivor if he followed their example. After all, weakness is poison. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a warm sensation cover his left hand. Looking down, he saw that Charlie had intertwined his fingers with James. James felt his heart skip a beat and grow warm from the romantic gesture.

“So,” Charlie smiled over at James, “The Alpha seems pretty set on the attack over in the west,”

James nodded in agreement. “Seems the Beta is the same way,” James’ whispered voice had a monotone edge to it.

Charlie gave a small chuckle. “He’d be pretty stupid not to agree after what happened with the last Beta.” A silence overtook the pair as they stared into the fire, watching the flames dancing around and consuming the logs. “Think there will be any chocolate left behind when we scavenge after the attack?” Charlie let out a sigh. “God, I miss chocolate.”

“It would be a pleasant surprise,” James smiled over at Charlie. The couple continued to talk for some time about what they hoped they’d find behind their enemies’ walls, letting their imaginations run wild until it was time to go to sleep. Charlie captured a quick kiss and disappeared off to his camp, leaving James with a small goofy smile as he settled in for the night. 

Tomorrow they were set to leave this campsite and move further west with their deadly horde, closer to the community they were set to attack.

The next day moved by without much of note. Charlie and James were near the back of the horde guiding it cautiously as they made their way forward with their pack. The redhead boy struggled to keep up with his share of the walkers but in the end managed to keep them all in line and alive. It took nearly the full day until they set up camp again. Charlie and James sat by the fire once again, only talking in short sentences as they felt the ever-present need for sleep deep in their bones. When Charlie had said goodnight, James started to get ready to head off to bed only to freeze when he noticed the young boy fidgeting again and looking scared. For some reason, a pit hardened in James’ gut at the sight. He had been here for nearly four months. If he continued to act like this, he wouldn’t survive. James lay down on the ground and within seconds let sleep overtake him.

\----

It was early in the morning when it happened. There in front of everyone the fourteen year old redhead had spoken up. “This isn't right. Why should those people die while we live!” His voice wavered with each word as he saw the disdain in the onlookers’ eyes. 

James stood by Charlie and felt his anger swell up inside him. _What the hell is he doing?_

“They are just trying to survive like us,” 

James’ teeth clenched together, gritting as his hands curled up into fists.

The redhead continued regardless of the angry and ashamed looks he received. “Why don’t you see it? Those people are like us, just on a different path.” 

James’ eyes shot up and he closed the distance between the two of them. Stepping behind the boy, he grabbed his dual knives and with a simple flick of his wrists slit his throat. 

The redhead didn’t even have time to reach up before he started to bleed out. He fell dead to the ground as the lifeblood spilled from his wound, twisting and mixing with the dirt around it, staining his clothes and hair. 

James felt his heart race as he looked down with hatred. _He would’ve only slowed us down._

The Alpha slowly made her way to the front, looking at the corpse for a second, her expression unreadable when she jabbed a dagger into the boy’s head to stop the turning process. Flicking off the blood, she looked up to the group and spoke. “Gather your things. We leave for the next campsite,” With that everyone moved on with their tasks, stepping over the body without a care and packing up. 

James looked down at his bloodied knives when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. 

“You should clean those,” Charlie gave James a small pat on the shoulder before looking down at the corpse with no sympathy. “He wasn’t going to last.” Charlie moved forward and disappeared into his tent where he started to pack. 

James brushed the blades against his pant legs, staining them with his last kill and moved on with his tasks, not taking another second to think on the matter. 

The group moved out within minutes, leaving behind the corpse for whatever walkers might find it down the line, and began the long process of moving the herd. 

When night had fallen and the Whispers had placed their camp, James decided to go to bed early. But sleep didn’t come easily to him. For some reason the image of the redhead boy’s corpse stayed with him. Images of the blood seeping out and the glassy, empty eyes haunted James’ mind, causing him to get a poor night’s sleep. 

When Charlie had asked him what was wrong, James brushed it off, telling him it was nothing to worry about. He never felt this way after a kill before. But it shouldn’t last. After a day or so it would be gone and forgotten. But it never left. It kept tormenting James’ mind over the next few days. The words of the boy repeated over and over in his head as the images flashed in his mind. _Those people are like us, just on a different path._ Those words haunted the teenager, plaguing his mind while he tried to continue his daily tasks. 

Charlie was noticing the effect it was having on his boyfriend but wasn’t sure exactly what to say. He figured it may be for the best to leave James be for a while until it sorted itself out.  
But it never happened. The guilt twisted James’ heart, keeping him up at night as he questioned things he never had in the new world. Wondering whether there was truth behind the redhead boy’s words or if it was even right what he had been doing these past years. Killing the weak, using walkers as a weapon…. what the Whisperers’ philosophy spoke of. Was it all wrong? 

He was so caught up in this that he nearly failed to notice when a walker had picked up on his presence. He had not been mimicking them correctly and in failing to do so risked his life. James backstepped and took out his twin blades, slicing the walker’s head nearly in half. His heart raced as his chest rose and fell. His hands shook, trembling when they held the blades. He looked down at the walker as new questions formed in his mind. 

“Hey,” a whispered voice appeared beside him. Charlie placed a hand on James’ arm. “Meet me back at camp.”

James nodded and began to continue his work until the day turned to night. When he showed back up at his tent, Charlie was already there waiting for him. James sat down beside his boyfriend and the silence overtook the pair until Charlie shattered it.

“You’ve been acting weird lately,” Charlie played with one of the tips of his own hair. “I figured it was best to give you some space, but now,” he looked over at James, “I need to know.”

“I…” James was trying to find the right words. “I can’t get the image of his corpse out of my mind. His words...” James lifted his hand up and slid his hand down his face, “They won’t leave me.”

“The redhead?” Charlie leaned forward and grabbed James’ hand. “Give it time. It will pass. It always does.”

“But this is different. I can’t explain it, but…” James’ voice faltered. “What if what we’re doing is wrong? Why do we have to attack other communities?”

Charlie’s eyes hardened at those words, causing James’ eyes to widen before falling. “We do it to survive.”

James didn’t buy Charlie's statement.

“I don’t think that’s true. Not anymore.”

An awkward tension filled the tent as James shifted away. Charlie’s aura had taken on a different tone.

“I….” Charlie seemed like he wanted to say something to disagree with James but caught himself and thought better of it. “I’m here for you. ” Charlie tried to look James in the eyes but he refused.

“Not in the way I need you to be. Not with how I feel now.” Those words seem to hurt Charlie as he glared at James.

“How you feel right now is wrong! If we thought like that, we would both be dead. The only reason we’ve survived this long is by looking out for ourselves. The strong live and the weak die, it's that simple, James!” Charlie looked at his boyfriend with frustration.

“But-”

“No, James, enough!” Charlie took a deep breath. “Just get some sleep. We’re leaving to attack at dawn.” Charlie left before James could say any more, leaving him alone and confused. James decided to go to sleep for the night, hoping to escape from his endless thoughts. But it failed. His mind was consumed by it more with each passing second. Even with Charlie’s disapproval, James couldn’t stop. He felt like some part of him thought that his new thinking was right. 

That didn’t stop him from walking with the Whisperers though. His legs dragged against the ground while he moved in the herd, following the pack as it moved closer and closer to their destination. With each step, however, James felt that small part of him that was considering the redhead boy’s words grew stronger in his heart. _This isn’t right._ James shuffled forward, looking around at the overwhelming number of walkers. _It can’t be._

When they had arrived at the spot, Charlie moved forward carefully to James’ side. But James didn’t look over. Instead he looked at the place they were going to attack. It seemed like a nice, peaceful place. These people weren’t harming anyone. Jame’s eyes wandered around, looking more closely at this location than he ever did before at the other raids he had been a part of. _They’re just trying to survive._

Suddenly the Alpha gave the signal and the Whisperers moved forward towards the upcoming massacre that would ensure the end of the peaceful community. James felt like time had frozen in that moment. The scenery moved around him at a slower pace as he watched Whisperer and walker alike wander forward. 

Charlie moved forward with the horde only to stop in his tracks when he saw James standing still in his spot. His eyes locked with James, a silent conversation playing out between them. Charlie stared at him for a moment longer when his eyes fell, realizing that James wouldn’t move forward. Charlie’s eyes hardened in resolve. Without a word he moved forward, swaying back and forth in time with the horde. 

James stood there and watched in horror as the group he once considered his people tore apart the community. The horde of walkers broke through the walls with ease and found the flesh of people’s necks and arms with ease. Any survivor that was able to fend off the walkers was soon massacred by the Whisperers hidden within the horde. Bodies fell with arrows sticking out of their necks. Others stumbled desperately, trying to stop themselves from bleeding out only to be met by a gruesome fate as walkers tore up their guts. Screams echoed out from behind the walls. Gunshots rang out that were soon silenced. 

It seemed like it took no time before the horde had consumed the community. James watched in horror. Never before had he truly seen the carnage that his people caused. Not from this view. It was chaos, heartless, brutal. James wanted to look away but his body refused him that luxury. It wasn’t until the screams had been silenced that James’ body was able to move. He looked at the bloodied and war-torn streets one final time before turning sharply on his heel.

 _I won’t take part in this anymore._ James wandered into the nearby wood. _They’re no longer my people._

James walked forward, stumbling into the woods, casting aside everything and everyone he had known. 

Alone and frightened, armed with nothing but his ideals.


End file.
